Strand-treating machine



Oct. s, 1929. A. MARCHEV l1,731,055

STRAND TKEATING MACHINE b am. yy/SWAZ Patented d. 8, 1929 unITD l STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED MARCHEV, OF CICERO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, ENCORPORATED, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORORATION 0F NEW YORK.

STRAND-TREATING MACHNE 'Application filed September 4, 1924. Serial No. 735,813.

'lhis invention relates to` strand treating machines, and more particularly to a machine for impregnating strands.

The required and specified insulation properties of materials used in electrical apparatus are very frequently obtained by impregnating these materials with a waterproofing compound. A compound which 1s suitable for such purposes is known under the trade name of Sarco, and is frequently used for impregnating insulated electrical conductors.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus by which is the mpreamtins' Operation may be per" formed efficiently and with a minimum amount of manual labor.

Other objects of the invention consist in providing an improved impregnating machine very compactly constructed which reduces the floor space required per machine unit; and in providing improved machine controlling and operating means.

With these objects in view and in accordance with the general features of the invention, there is provided a compound containing receptaclehaving a suitable cover hinged thereto. A plurality of guide rollers p are mounted in brackets secured to the underside l of the cover andare sopos'itioned that they are wholly submerged beneath the surface of the compound when the cover is closed, and may be elevated above the surface of the compound by opening the cover to a substantially vertical position. A capstan serves to draw the strand from a supply reel through the compound containing receptacle wherein it is passed several times back and forth over the guide rollers submerged in the compound. The strand thus treated emerges from the compound containing receptacle and is passed back and forth a number of times over a plurality of grooved pulleys and a series of grooves in the capstan after which it 1s reeled by suitable take-up mechanism. The capstan serves as one of the cooling rollers and engages the strand upon its emergence from the receptacle, thereby reducing the tension f upon the strand to a minimum.

rlihe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

F ig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus embodying the features of this invention;

F ig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 'and looking in the direction indica-ted by the arrows, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the friction drive for the take-up reel.

The preferred form of the invention as herein illustrated and described is adapted for use on a machine for impregnating textile insulated electrical conductors, but obviously, the invention is capable of other applications, as set forth in the appended claims.

As illustrated in the drawings, the machine is preferably built with a plurality of units positioned side by side and also substantially back to back with relation to other units, and it will therefore suiiice if the construction and operation of one of the units is described. A tank 10, common to all units, is constructed of any suitable material such as sheet steel and is supported upon a plurality of upright members 11, 11 secured to a base member 12. A compound containing receptacle 13, alsocommon to all units of themachine, is suitably supported within the tank and is sufficiently smaller to allow a space between its walls and the walls of the tank 10 which space is filled with a suitable heat insulating material 14. A plurality of electrical heating elements 15 are positioned underneath the receptacle 13 and serve to maintain the impregnating compound at the required temperature during the impregnating operation.

The space between the tank 10 and the receptacle 13 is closed at the top by a sheet steel covering 17. A cover 18, comprising a pair of hinged sections 19 and 20, fits over the top of the receptacle 13 and is hinged at 21 to the steel covering 17. Extending downwardly from the bottom of the receptacle 13 is a drain pipe 23 which is utilized for cleaning the receptacle and which is fitted with a Valve '24 supplied with an operating key 25. The

key 25 extends into a tube 26 inserted into the heat insulating compound 14 and through which access to the key 25 is obtained for opening the valve 24 and draining thereceptacle 13.

A supply reel 3() is sup orted upon a pin 31 revolvably mounted in ifurcated portions 32 and 33 of a bracket 34 and a gear housing 35 respectively. The bracket 34 andthe gear housing 35 are rigidly secured to the base member 12. The gear housing 35 extends upwardly to the tank 10 and is rigidly secured to the bottom thereof. Secured to the side 'if the tank 10 is a V-shaped bracket 37, in legs 38 and 39 of which are revolvably mounted grooved guide pulleys 40 and 41 respectively. A grooved guide pulley 42 is revolvably mounted in a bracket 43 which is hinged to a support 44 secured to the top covering 17. i

rlhe cover 18 is provided with slots or openings 46 and 47 through which a strand 100 drawn from the supply reel 30 enters into and emerges from the treating compound contained in the receptacle 13. ligidly secured to the underside of section 19 of the cover 18 are a pair of downwardly projecting brackets 48, each of which carries a plurality of grooved pulleys 49 which serve to guide the strand through the treating compound during the impregnating operation. The cover 18 together with the grooved pulleys 49 may be completely removed from the machine for the purpose 'of repairing or cleaning, and a plain cover may be inserted in its place. Upon its emergence from the receptacle 13, the strand passes over the grooved pulleys 42 and 41 and is then engaged by a capstan 50 l`which is secured to a stud shaft 51 revolvably journaled in a bearing 52 formed in the housing 35.

A main driving shaft 53, common to all units on one side of the machine, is journaled in bearings 54 formed in the gear housings 35. rlhe shafts 53 are constantly driven from a cross shaft 55 through suitable bevel gearing indicated at 56, Fig. 1. rlhe shaft 55 is driven from any suitable source of power, such as van electric moto-r 57, by means of a worm 58 and a worm gear 59. At each unit the shaft 53 is provided with a suitable jaw clutch, indicated generally by the reference numeral 60 thereby making it possible to operate each unit separatelv and without interfering with the other units of the machine.' Suitably secured to or formed integral with the driven member 61 4of the clutch 60 is a gear 62 which meshes with an idler gear 63 supported on a stud shaft 64 journaled in suitable bearings formed in the housing 35. The idler gear 63 in turn meshes with a gear 65 secured to the shaft 51 to provide means for positively driving the capstan 50from the main shaft. 53.

A take-up reel 7 0 is supported on suitable spindles-71 and 72 journaled in the housing 35 and the bracket 34 respectively. Secured to the spindle 71 isa gear 7 3 which meshes with an idler gear 74 mounted within the housing`35. The gear 74 in turn meshes with a gear 7 5 which is secured to a friction ring 76 encircling a collar 7 7 formed on the gear 62, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Conveniently positioned at each unit is a suitable hand lever 78 for operating the clutch 60 to start or stop each unit of the machine. The lever 7 8 is pivotally mounted in a bracket 7 9 secured to the bottom of the tank 10. Suitable 'means (not shown) is provided for maintaining the compound in the receptacle 13 at approximately the level indicated by the dotted line A in Fig. 2.

The operation of the apparatus above described is as follows The bracket 43 carrying the grooved pulley 42 is swung back to a position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 so as to allow the cover 18 to be opened to a substantially vertical position as clearly illustrated in the drawings. lThe section 20 of the cover 18 is then swung open at right angles to the section 19, thereby wholly exposing the grooved pulleys 49 to facilitate threading of the strand thereon. rlhe strand is then drawn from the supply reel `30 and threaded over the grooved pulley 41, through the opening 46, over the grooves in the pulleys 49 and back through the opening 47. rl`he cover 18 is then closed and the bracket 43 is swung back in place. Thestrand is then threaded over the grooved pulley 42, over the first grooved pulley 40 and then over the first groove in the capstan 50, after which it is passed back and forth around each pulley 40 and each successive groove in the capstan 50. After suitably securing the end of the strand to the take-up reel 7 0, the clutch 60 is operated through the lever 7 8 to set the capstan and take-up reel into motion. The capstan 50 draws the strand from the supply reel 30, over the vpulleys 49 which are now submerged in the treating compound, and over the first grooved pulley 40. |The strand then passes back and forth, at a suitable speed, between each of the pulleys 40 and each successive groove in the capstan 50, during which time it is allowed to cool. By this arrangement the capstan 50 also serves as a cooling roll and since it engages the strand approximately upon its emergence from the receptacle 13, the tension on the strand is practically reduced to a minimum.

What is claimed is:

1. lln a strand treating machine, a recep- 2. itna strand treating machine, a receptacle ai iapted to be heated containing a treating bath, a hinged cover therefor having a plurality of openings therein through which a strand is passed in and out of said treating bath, a plurality of guide pulleys movable with said cover for guiding theJ strand a plurality of times through the treating bath, a plurality of guide pulleys for guiding the treated strand a plurality of times through a cooling medium, a capstan (zo-operating With said last mentioned guide pulleys for drawing the strand through the bath1 and a driven take-up reel positioned below the eapstan for receiving the treated strand.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 21st day of August A'. D., 1924.

ALFRED MARCHEV. 

